Top 5 Myths and Truths about Why

Committed Mormons Leave the

ChurchJohn P. Dehlin

John P. Dehlin

• Have spent the past 8 years speaking with thousands of disaffected Mormons• Almost left the church myself.

Recently returned• Attend church weekly with my family• Consider myself to be a

“reconstructed believer”

A tiny bit about me…

PRELIMINARY AND INDICATIVE ANALYSIS ONLY

Global Membership and Activity Rate by YearHistoric and Projected (millions)

Source: Cumorah Foundation, LDS Church Almanac, Pew Foundation, Open Stories Analysis

"Maybe since Kirtland, we've never had a period of - I'll call it apostasy, like we're having now" 

Elder Marlin K. Jensen

1. Was offended by someone2. Desired to sin3. Never had a testimony to

begin with4. Lazy…or stopped praying and

reading the scriptures5. Studied anti-Mormon literature

Top 5 Myths

• I wasn’t offended by anyone• I wasn’t desiring to sin• I felt like I had a testimony• I was praying and reading the

scriptures…as a seminary teacher

• I was not studying anti-Mormon literature. For me, it started with the CES curriculum

In my experience…

For me, these allegations felt

hurtful

They made a very difficult situation

even more difficult

• Approached in 2011 by a retired member of the 3rd Quorum of the 70 who was troubled himself by some historical issues

• Was asked to prepare a presentation for him and a member of the 1st Quorum of the 70

• Administered a survey to over 3,000 disaffected Mormons to find out how/why they lost their testimony

• These data have been presented at LDS church headquarters – at some of the highest levels in the church

Background

whymormonsquestion.org

• Over 3,000 respondents• “Sample of convenience” / Snowball

sample• Recruited through liberal and former-

LDS web sites, forums, blogs, podcasts, etc.

• Higher than average income and education

• Biased towards Caucasian, middle to upper-class, internet connected U.S. church members

Survey Sample

LEAVING THE CHURCH

1. Was offended2. Desired to sin

Myths #1 and 2

OVERALL ISSUES

4% indicated having been offended and/or a desire to engage in behaviors contrary to

church teachings

This makes more sense after addressing Myths 3 &

4

3. Never had a testimony to begin with

4. Lazy…or stopped praying and reading the scriptures

Myths #3 - 4

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT - MEN

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT - WOMEN

“We are losing our best and our brightest.”

So what were the most common

reasons?

Disclaimer – The following issues can be troubling…

…but have been reconciled by some

• Historical issues• Scientific issues• Doctrinal and theological issues• Socio-political and cultural issues• Spiritual issues

5 Types of Issues

• Joseph’s credibility as a translator– Joseph’s history of treasure digging– Use of a “peep stone in a hat” to translate Book of Mormon– Book of Abraham, Kinderhook plates

• Joseph Smith’s polygamy/polyandry, post-manifesto polygamy

• Denial of priesthood to blacks/racism• Masonic influences in the temple ceremony• Multiple accounts of the first vision story• Issues with the credibility of the priesthood restoration• Blood atonement, Adam/God• Mountain Meadows Massacre

Historical Issues

TRENDING ISSUES

MULTIPLE ISSUES

“It’s not any one of these historical issues, but the accumulation of them

combined with the Church’s lack of addressing these concerns on their own.”

Respondent #105, Male in his 30’s

• Age of the earth (6,000 years?)• Adam & Eve• Noah’s ark story, global flood• Evolution• Book of Mormon– Native Americans having Asiatic DNA– Anachronisms (e.g. horses, steel)– Some see it as a fictional work, borrowing heavily

from other sources• Book of Abraham text not matching the papyrus

Scientific Issues

• Lost belief in God and/or Jesus• Lost belief in scriptures as positive, credible,

divine, and/or worthwhile• Lost belief in the idea of “one true church”• Lost belief in the need for exclusive saving

ordinances, proxy work for dead• Lost faith in Book of Mormon narrative about

dark skin as a curse• Lost faith in church leaders, prophetic

authority and credibility

Doctrinal and Theological Issues

• Unequal or unsatisfactory treatment of women and minorities

• Church’s stance on homosexuals and same-sex marriage (Proposition 8)

• Excessive political conservatism• Church’s lack of financial transparency,

decision to build a mall• Culture of control, conformity, anti-

intellectual, perfectionism

Socio-Political and Cultural Issues

TRENDING ISSUES

• Never received the promised spiritual witness (after multiple sincere attempts)

• Begin to question or reinterpret past spiritual experiences (e.g. emotions, manipulation)

• Do not feel spiritually edified at church• Feeling burned out, not good enough• Feeling bored, uninspired• Felt spiritually inspired to leave the church

Spiritual Issues

OVERALL ISSUES

TRENDING ISSUES• Historical issues• DNA & Book of Mormon• Book of Abraham• First Vision• Treatment of Women• Science

• Studied anti-Mormon literature

Myth #5

• The scriptures themselves – “Could the earth really be 6,000 years old?” (D&C

77:6)– “Why are horses and steel in the Book of

Mormon?”– “Is polygamy still God’s new and everlasting

covenant?” (D&C 132)• Journals of early church leaders• Church publications (Times and Seasons,

Journal of Discourses, Ensign, Family Search, etc.)

Primary Sources

“Anti-Mormon Literature”

“I never visited "anti-mormon" sites but rather

sites maintained by members. With time, I

simply could not accept the Church's official position on

many historical issues.” Respondent 3074

So how does disaffection happen?

They go to Google

Southpark -- ”About the Mormons”

Larry King / Gordon B. Hinckley

On Polygamy: “It’s not doctrinal”

On God once being a man: “I don’t know much about it. I don’t know that we teach it.”

Newsweek

“After Smith ordered an antagonistic printing press destroyed …”

“By the end of his life, he had accrued some 30 wives, massive debt and hundreds of enemies. ‘I never told you I was perfect,’ he told his followers. “

"Decades of serious and honest scholarship have failed to uncover credible evidence that these Book of Mormon civilizations ever existed," --Southerton

PBS Series on “The Mormons”

Written by David O. McKay’s Niece

Brigham Young – Journal of Discourses"You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind. …the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race — that they should be the 'servant of servants;' and they will be, until that curse is removed; and the Abolitionists cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree"

--Brigham Young JOD v. 7 p. 290

"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so"

--Brigham Young JOD vol. 10, p. 109

FAIRLDS.org

1. They legitimize the problems (unavoidable)

2. They introduce additional problems (unavoidable)

3. Many find their answers to be ultimately unsatisfying (unsure if this is avoidable)

4. Many also find their tone and tactics to be un-Christlike (definitely avoidable)

A few problems with FAIR

More on LDS Apologetics

From respondent 2844: “As I studied Church history and uncovered many controversial historical evidence, I would frequent LDS apologetic sites for answers (e.g. FARMS (now the Maxwell Institute), Shields, FAIR). I soon discovered those sites rarely dealt with the controversial evidences but rather often skirted or obfuscated the issue and frequently resorted to personal attacks on the individuals who were publishing historical information.”

More on LDS Apologetics

“…it was the apologetic attempts on FAIRLDS that helped convince [me] that the Church doesn't have a good explanation for its side.”

From respondent 2108: “I watched FARMS and FAIR apologists treat people horribly. For example, [one apologist] used to lurk on the Recovery from Mormonism site so that he could snatch up quotes from the people posting there, in order to humiliate them. This, coupled with the way apologists tend to treat critics (i.e., with ad hominem attack), was the lynchpin. I would encourage him/them to do something about the apologists. I think they are the worst aspect of the current Church.”

More on LDS Apologetics

From respondent 1746: “On honesty, stop leaving it to the apologetics. They are terrible and are doing more damage than good to people’s testimonies with their poor answers. For example....Book of Abraham.”

From respondent 1865: “Please stop the ridiculous apologetics. Their circular reasoning and logical fallacies do more harm than good.”

More on LDS Apologetics

“FAIR and their answers have done more to destroy their testimonies than any "anti-Mormon" sources could. For many members, the fact that the LDS Church is officially silent on many of these problems is a testament in itself that the church does not have any answers and are hiding behind unofficial apologists like FAIR for plausible deniability.”

Active member finds out that the

information was accurate.

TRANSPARENCY AND BETRAYAL

“I defended the church to associates who brought up some historical issues. When I did my own research, I found they were true. My issue wasn’t that they

were true but that my whole life I was never told about them…I felt

betrayed by the church.”Respondent #732, Female in her

40s

TRANSPARENCY AND BETRAYAL

“I feel like I cannot trust the general leadership on any

spiritual issue because they cannot even be honest and

open about our past.” Respondent #597, Female in

her 20’s

TRANSPARENCY AND BETRAYAL

“The Church needs to be honest with its history and contradictions…instead they make us who have

discovered the complicating facts look like the evil ones. I am shunned by my family. They think I am a liar and a deceiver when it is the Church

and general authorities who have deceived us.”

Respondent #701, Male in his 60’s

This is a major factor that leads ex-Mormons to call the church a “cult.”

It’s a natural reaction, but not at all Christ-like

COSTS OF DOUBT AND DISCLOSURE

“Stop hurting marriages by driving a wedge between spouses on this issue. I have gone through hell and back and

nearly divorced. We desperately need a General Conference address telling

spouses to not divorce an otherwise good spouse over non-belief. I have several friends who have been divorced over

primarily this issue, and my own marriage is still on the rocks due to it,

even though I am fully active.” Respondent 438, Male

COSTS OF DOUBT AND DISCLOSURE

“Tell your bishops and leaders to tell their members to NOT divorce their

spouse when they leave the LDS church. My husband was advised by his bishop to divorce me. We had 10

children. It was awful. The church that says families are the most important

-- you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Respondent 691, Female

So how can we help?

"If there is a despicable character on the face of the earth, it is an apostate from this Church. He is a traitor who has deceived his best friends, betrayed his trust, and forfeited every principle of honor that God placed within him. They are disgraced in their own eyes. There is not much honesty [within] them. They have forfeited their heaven, sold their birthright, and betrayed their friends."

-Brigham Young (JOD 12:94)

Brigham Young on “Apostates”

Not helpful

• “Dark” and sinful (“lost the spirit”)• Lost• Dishonest…breaking their covenants• Threatening and dangerous• Deceived by “Satan”

….but that’s often a matter of perspective…or flat out wrong.

It’s “easy” to see them as….

• Seeking truth, at any cost – “Do what is right, let the consequence follow”– “Oh say, what is truth? ‘Tis the fairest gem!”

• Acting bravely, with integrity• Being more honest than ever before• Following the light…not darkness• Happy

These seem like values that Mormons should respect.

They see themselves as….

• Assume anything• Fall prey to any of the myths (sin, offended,

lazy, never had testimony, anti-Mormon literature)

• Preach at or lecture to them, guilt trips• Reduce the issue to “praying and reading the

scriptures”• Refer them to “bad” apologetics sources• Judge or fear them• Avoid/ostracize them

What should we NOT do?

• 45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

•  46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

•  47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

-- Mormon 7:45-47

Mormon on Charity

• Listen to them, for a long time, even when it’s hard

• Be kind…always. Love them unconditionally• Eliminate your agendas for them. Don’t try to re-

convert them or call them to repentance• Do the work to understand where they are coming

from. Find the truth in their concerns• Respect and honor their choices• Work with church leaders to become more

informed and empatheticRemember…without charity “ye are nothing”

How can we help those who have left?

Love them. Love them. Love them.

Resources

No official church books or website(s) at this time addressing these issues.

Hopefully someday soon.

Faithful Books

Skeptical Books

Classic Books

FAIRLDS.org

MormonThink.com

StayLDS.com

Mormon Stories, Mormon Expression

Mormon Matters and A Thoughtful Faith

Mormon Stories Sunday School

ByCommonConsent.com

FeministMormonHousewives.org

• Call your loved one(s) and set up a time to talk

• Listen, listen, listen. And love• Become more informed about the

difficult issues• Share this presentation with other

family members, friends, ward members, and church leaders

• Remember that all things will work out in the end. In the mean time don’t forget that:

“…if ye have not charity…ye are nothing.”

What should I do now?

http://mormonstories.org

mormonstories@gmail.com